SoulMate
by madworld27
Summary: Twelve year old, Cloud Strife, is bitten by a vampire when his curiosity leads him astray. Cloud must face the vampire world and find his soulmate(s) before he is hunted. After all, who would want to be experimented on by Hojo? ASGZC (no underage, Cloud will be older before anything too intimate happens;overall, nothing too graphic, this is rated Teen after all.)
1. Chapter 0: Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, items, places, etc. mentioned below

Nibelheim

In the small town of Nibelheim, there lived a boy named Cloud. He was estranged from everyone in the town, except his sick mother. Day after day, Cloud suffered neglect; his only escape being that of exploring the mountains near the town.

One day, while exploring a cave, Cloud came across a rusted metal door. Curious, Cloud tried opening the entry, only to find the door immovable. After several attempts at breaking open the door, Could picked up a rock and hit the hinges multiple times till they fell from the door. Finally, the door collapsed when Cloud ran shoulder first into the entry.

Upon entering the space beyond the door, Cloud was surrounded by darkness. Taking preparations was never a strong suit of the twelve year old Cloud, so when faced with this situation, instead of having a match on hand, Cloud felt the side of the cave and shuffled his feet. After a while, his eyes adjusted to the lack of light and Cloud found himself in what looked to be a room filled with coffins.

Now, Cloud may not have had as much knowledge as others due to his upbringing, but he knew that it was not customary to bury people in caves with locked doors. Thus, he felt safe in the assumption that the coffins had to be empty. Testing his theory, Cloud came over to the coffin located in the center of the room and nudged the top off. As he was working off the top, a hand shot out from the opening. Scared to death, all Cloud could do was gape at the appendage that had attached itself to his arm.

Slowly another hand slid out of the opening, only this "hand" was a golden claw like contraption. The hand-thing pushed the coffin lid off entirely causing a loud crash as the lid met the cave floor. Then, a man arose out of the coffin. Cloud knew right then that he was going to die and no one would ever know. For when Cloud looked at the man, he saw a vampire with pale skin, long black hair, glowing red eyes, and a cape soaked in crimson.

At first, the man didn't seem to notice he was clutching someone in his grasp. He seemed distracted by his surroundings. However his attention was soon drawn to Cloud when the boy struggled in hopes of escape. The man turned his solemn, red eyes on the child. Once the situation registered, the man looked as though he was about to let the boy go when suddenly a rumble was heard. With the need of hunger striking the man, an inner battle began causing the man's hand to continue to hold Cloud in place.

Within the man's mind, a demon fought for control. Finally after minutes of empty silence, Cloud noticed that the man's eyes had gone from red to a golden hue. The grip of the man tightened around Cloud's slim wrist, and the man sneered into the child's face.

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

Cloud did not dare to say a reply.

"Silent treatment, is it? That's not very nice, but then again what can be expected of an intruder dumb enough to enter this place."

The man tightened his grip, and Cloud managed a whimper of a reply.

"Please...let me go..."

"No. It's been ages since I've been able to get a snack."

With that said, the man brought the boy close to him and placed his mouth on the boy's throat. In less than a second, the man's hidden fangs dug deep into the tender flesh and he drank the child dry. Though the amount of blood possessed by the child could not quench the thirst completely, the lack of additional prey led to the man to regaining control. As his eyes regained their red glow, the man looked upon the dying boy who had virtually no more blood for survival. Not wanting another sin to add to his long list of regrets, the man bit his finger and placed five drops of blood into the child's mouth.

Next, the man cast a spell with the use of a black materia. All said and done, the man left his coffin to place the boy in it. Night passed into day and day passed into night, till finally, Cloud awoke to find himself in an open coffin with the creepy guy watching him from across the room.

"Hey...What's going on?"

"...Vincent..."

"...What?"

"The name is Vincent, and you have a lot to learn."


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome to the Club

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, items, places, etc. mentioned below

_Next, the man cast a spell with the use of a black materia. All said and done, the man left his coffin to place the boy in it. Night passed into day and day passed into night, till finally, Cloud awoke to find himself in an open coffin with the creepy guy watching him from across the room._

_"Hey...What's going on?"_

_"...Vincent..."_

_"...What?"_

_"The name is Vincent, and you have a lot to learn."_

Nibelheim Mansion

Vincent stared down at the child observing any and all reactions. At first, the child appeared catatonic, only staring straight ahead. However once his mouth opened, Vincent felt his responsibility double. Never one to chit chat, Vincent spoke only about the essentials. His name was the first word he directed at the boy. After introducing himself, the cavernous room filled with silence. After what felt like centuries of staring, the boy's mouth opened again.

"...I'm...Cloud... Are you a...vampire?"

"It's a long story, Cloud."

The way in which his words were spoken told Cloud that the subject was closed for discussion. Slowly, Cloud reached up and lifted himself out of the coffin. Once out, Cloud took notice of himself and his surroundings. He felt refreshed and extremely thirsty. In addition, it happened that the room appeared brighter. Deciding that he had nothing to lose, Cloud stepped up to Vincent.

"What happened? Last thing I remember is that you were in the coffin."

"Cloud...you have died."

Cloud took a step back. What did this guy mean he died? He was standing right in front of the man.

"That's not funny."

"Do I look like I'm laughing?"

"How can I be dead?...Unless..."

"Yes, I changed you. The human, Cloud, is dead."

Not one to be emotional, the boy took a deep breathe and sighed.

"Well...What do we do now?"

"...What?"

"You turned me into whatever you are, and you said I needed to learn, so where do you want to start?"

A rumble startled the two. Cloud blushed in realization as to where it came from. Meanwhile, Vincent let out a small chuckle.

"I guess we should start with hunting."

After hours of hunting wild animals in the Nibelheim mountains, Vincent and Cloud stood outside the front entrance to the Nibelheim Mansion. Slowly, the two entered the dusty wreck and looked around. They discovered a dusty couch and sat on it.

"Alright questions and answers time."

"What are we?"

"We are stage three vampires which means that we were turned by other vampires. Out of the varying types of vampires we are the weakest. Other types include type stage one: the purebred vampires, and stage two: the mixedbred vampires."

"What else should I know?"

"The vampire world is a secret. We kill or change any humans who know about us. There is a hierarchy of rule that places type one vampires above everyone. The agency that monitors our behavior is called Shinra. And, if you are caught doing anything deemed suspicious, a vampire group called the Turks will hunt you down and deliver you to a scientist, Hojo, who will experiment on you until he gets bored of you."

"...Okay..."

"Also, as a turned vampire, you will need to drink blood at least once everyday."

"Doesn't seem to bad."

"Did I I forget to mention that you must find your soulmate(s) within a century or you will turn to dust?"

"...What?!"

"Oh yeah, and you are illegally created so you have to hide else you'll be kidnapped by the Turks."

"You have got to be kidding."

"No. You'll find that I never joke around."

"This sucks."

"Welcome to the club."


	3. Chapter 2: Junon

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, items, places, etc. mentioned below

After accepting his situation, Cloud adjusted to his new life. At first, it was difficult living in the old mansion with a complete stranger. In fact there were some pretty awkward situations the two found themselves in. For instance, three days into the arrangement and Cloud discovered the man had no social skills, at all. Now, Cloud knew he was not one to talk when it came to social skills, but come on when you spend an entire day polishing your gun to avoid talking, you have some serious issues. So, always one to take up a challenge, Cloud found himself going out of his way to get to know the man and trying to get him to open up.

*sigh* "You know, Cloud, you are kind of annoying."

"Says the guy who can't keep his hands off his gun."

"..."

"That came out wrong."

"Yes. Yes, it did."

"You know what I mean."

"..."

The room drifted into silence, and Vincent went back to his polishing.

"I can't stand this anymore. I'm going out hunting."

"..."

Taking the silence as acceptance, Cloud dashed out the door and into the surrounding woods. Finally free from the stifling silence, Cloud decided to talk to himself.

"I swear if I spend too much time around that man, I will turn into some kind of sullen creep."

A sudden rustle of leaves and snap of a twig brought Cloud attention to his right side. After close inspection, Cloud found that he was not as alone as he first thought. Barely hidden behind a tree to his right, a girl stood gaping at him. The girl had long black hair and deep brown eyes. When she noticed that she had been caught, she turned away and took on an arrogant stance. Cloud recognized the girl. It was Tifa Lockhart, the mayor's daughter. Not feeling up for talking to the stuck up child, Cloud turned and started to walk away.

" Hey, where do you think you are going?"

"...None of your business."

"Is too! Everything in Nibelheim is my business."

"..."

"Your that little blonde brat that everyone dislikes right?"

"..."

"No fair. Don't ignore me!"

"...Shut up, and stop following me."

"No. I've decided that your going to be my Soldier."

"...Your...What?"

"You know like Sephiroth from the TV."

"...Yep. I have no idea what your saying."

" Come on his face is like everywhere..."

After looking at Cloud's clueless face, Tifa sighed.

"Anyway, he's this real powerful guy who lives in Midgar, and he's the general of a company called Shinra."

The name of the company caught Cloud's interest. Where had he heard it before? Oh, yeah. That's the place controlling the vampire community. Zoning back into the conversation, Cloud hoped to gain some information on the place.

"So, like I was saying I want you to be my Soldier and come running in to save the day whenever I'm in trouble."

"...Not interested."

"Why not?! It's perfect."

"...Look, I have my own problems, and I'm not up for dealing with yours, got it?"

"Your just being stupid. What kind of guy would refuse a request from a lady?"

"...I don't see any ladies here."

"Your so mean. If you don't become my Soldier, I'll beat you up and then tell my daddy on you."

"...What are you three?"

"No..I'm thirteen."

"Besides, I can't be your Soldier. Soldiers have training, right?"

Tifa nodded her head."

"Well, I don't have any training."

"You can get training."

"...It's not that easy."

"Yeah, it is. I heard on TV that Shinra is always looking for new recruits...Something about a war...I don't know. All I know is that you are going to be my Soldier."

"...I give up. I'm going home."

"Does that mean you agree?"

"Whatever just leave me alone."

"I'll take that as a yes."

With all that said and done, Tifa ran back in the direction of Nibelheim, and Cloud was left to his thoughts once more.

"..Why am I surrounded by weirdos?"

No one answered and Cloud went on his way. On his way back to the mansion, Cloud caught and drained two wolves. Upon entering his home, Cloud noticed Vincent in the exact position he had left him in.

"...I'm back."

"...Hn."

"I heard about Shinra today."

That caught Vincent's attention and he put his gun down.

"I heard that this guy named Sephiroth was their general and that they are looking for recruits."

"..."

"I was thinking that it might be easier to join the company rather than laying low out here."

"...No..."

"Why not?"

"They'll find out that you illegal and kill you, then me."

"Not if I trained and..."

"No."

"Your being unreasonable."

"..."

"Look, you said that I will die if I don't find my soulmate or mates, but I won't find them staying up on this mountain."

"..."

"..."

Each vampire stood staring down the other; neither backed down. Till finally, Vincent sighed.

"Fine, but you need serious training before we go anywhere near Midgar."

Picking up his guns, Vincent moved to go upstairs to his room.

"...Where you going?"

"To pack...Tomorrow, we head out to Junon."


	4. Chapter 3: Journey

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, items, places, etc. mentioned below

_**Each vampire stood staring down the other; neither backed down. Till finally, Vincent sighed.**_

_**"Fine, but you need serious training before we go anywhere near Midgar."**_

_**Picking up his guns, Vincent moved to go upstairs to his room.**_

_**"...Where you going?"**_

_**"To pack...Tomorrow, we head out to Junon."**_

….

So, if Cloud though living with the annoyingly stoic man was a treacherous experience, he now knew that taking a journey with the man was even worse. In fact, from this experience, Cloud swore that if he ever decided to take another journey he would find a companion the complete opposite of Vincent. The more he thought about it the more appealing it became. I mean how bad can a chatty person be….it's not like they would annoy you to death or steal your stuff, right? The more the silence drew on the more Cloud was contemplating an escape attempt at the nearest town.

Secretly, Vincent wasn't doing much better. He hated company and he did not know how accommodate to children. Granted, Vincent knew that vampires continued to grow till they met their mates and that Cloud would not be a child for much longer, but Cloud's current childlike state put a damper on any of the crude jokes and experiences he could talk about. Finally, after Vincent was sure Cloud would attempt to flee if the awkwardness was not lifted, Vincent decided to give a brief reveal into his background.

"…Listen…"

"What?"

"…I believe that it is in our best interest to get to know one another."

"…So?"

"…I propose we each give a brief summary of our lives up to this point…any objections?"

"…I guess not…."

"…"

Vincent opens his mouth to speak.

"Wait! ...No never mind…can't think of a reason."

"…I used to be a Turk…"

"You what?!"

Vincent glared down at Cloud for the interruption.

Cloud glared Vincent in the eyes until it became too uncomfortable and he looked away.

"…Now, as I was saying, I was a Turk until I met my mate Lucina. She was working with Hojo and when he found out about our relationship…Well, let's just say it did not end pretty for us. I was tortured, experimented on, and locked up in that coffin room; meanwhile, Lucina was sent away where Hojo said I'd never find her."

"…That's…rough…"

"…."

"….."

"…."

"Well, my turn then."

"…"

"I grew up in a single parent household; raised by my mother. Never knew my father. I've been known in Nibelheim as the illegitimate child since I was born. As result, not only did the adults hold me in disdain, but the children exclude and bully me."

"…"

"…"

"… (cough) wimp (cough) …."

"Did you say something?"

Cloud said with a glare.

"…..No…"

"You're a jerk, you know that?"

"…..Takes one to know one…."

"…"

"…"

"…I liked you better silent…"

"That can be arranged."

…..

After a daunting journey filled with silence and lamenting, Vincent and Cloud reached Junon.

* * *

**Sorry for not updating sooner. I've been busy at college and now, I'm on "Spring Break." (I'm not so sure this can be labeled as spring when the snow reaches above your boots. But, whatever.)**

**I have finished up the outline and should be updating sooner now. Also, I realize how short this chapter is and I promise that future ones will be longer. If you have any suggestions or things you would like to see in the story, please let me know through review or PM. **

**Please stick with me; I love getting reviews and I look forward to hearing from you guys! **


	5. Chapter 4: Disaster

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, items, places, etc. mentioned below

"…_**I liked you better silent…"**_

"_**That can be arranged."**_

…_**..**_

_**After a daunting journey filled with silence and lamenting, Vincent and Cloud reached Junon.**_

Finally, Junon was right in front of them, and they could not wait a second longer to escape each other. Between the walking and the ship voyage, one problem developed one after another, adding to the annoyed feeling shared by the two. If it wasn't Vincent's gun polishing obsession, it was Cloud's motion sickness. Nothing had seemed to go right since they had left Nibelheim. So when they glimpsed the city, they could not be blamed for wanting to get alone time. Granted, they had discussed the plan for the rendezvous. Well, sort of. Cloud sprinted into Junon, shouting out behind him that he would meet Vincent at the entry gate when nightfall came, and Vincent just gave a slight nod. But, all the same, a rendezvous plan.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

**Cloud**

Freedom never felt so good. Left to his own devices, Cloud chose to spend some time touring the grounds and looking for some training space. He wasn't too keen on spending more alone time with the reclusive man, but Vincent was his teacher and he was more than excited to start training. Who knows maybe one day he would come to find the man's silent personality a blessing? …Or, maybe not.

Anyway, Cloud ventured down the streets at a comfortable pace, allowing his eyes and his mind to wonder. Soon they fell on a teen who looked a couple years older, around eighteen or so. The male had striking red hair and odd red markings on his cheeks. However, the strangest part of the teen was his outfit. Who wore a suit, even a disheveled one, with goggles?

The stranger drew more of Cloud's attention as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it while slightly shifting his eyes to meet Cloud's gaze. As what felt to be an eternity passed, a slow smirk formed around the cigarette and the stranger started to shift as though to move. That's when the sunlight caught on the stranger's wrist which appeared to possess a nightstick. No matter how Cloud looked at it, it appeared that the teen moving swiftly toward meant danger. So with years of built up instinct, Cloud flurried into action and ran through the streets, hoping to lose the stranger to the crowds and street turns. After a good thirty minute dash, Cloud bent down grasping his knees while panting. With the quick breather taken, Cloud's head jerked from side to side checking for the intimidating teen. Not spotting the boy, Cloud sighed.

What had the boy wanted? He knew he shouldn't have felt so scared, but he hadn't had any training and he truly doubted that any of his self-taught moves would save him had the stranger become hostile, especially with that rod he had attached to his wrist. Slightly disappointed in himself, Cloud began to take in his surroundings. Uh oh, one thing was for sure: Cloud was lost. And, lost in a very bad neighborhood by the looks of the rundown and boarded-up buildings. Taking some unsure steps backwards Cloud ran into something.

Not willing to turn around to face what would certainly be a menacing presence, Cloud chose to try rushing forward. Too bad that in the time it took for Cloud to make that decision, he found himself surrounded by a crowd of people who looked to be the residents of this slum.

"Whatcha runnin' away from pretty boy?"

"…"

"Surely, it can't be little old us can it?

"…"

A pair of grimy hands came to rest on his shoulders, and Cloud began to struggle out of the hold.

"Come on now, don't be like that. We just want to have a bit of fun. Right, boys?"

A chorus of yeahs followed the brute's question.

Slowly, Cloud felt his mind shift as adrenaline and instinct overtook him.

In the blink of an eye, blood drenched Cloud's clothes and he was alone, his only companion being that of silence and corpses. Blood from the residents dripped from Cloud's hands and mouth. While sensing no more danger, Cloud licked around his mouth, savoring his assaulters' life essence. It wasn't enough; it should have been, but it wasn't. Crouching down, Cloud lost track of his surroundings as became consumed by the need to get as much blood as he could from the corpses surrounding him. Suddenly, just as Cloud was about to bite into the body of a dead man, Cloud's body was thrown to the side. Knocked into a brick wall, Cloud's vision blurred, allowing him to catch only the color red on his assailant before passing out.

)()()()()()()()()()()()()(

**Vincent**

After separating from the brat, Vincent decided to be responsible and check into a room. Not feeling up for chit-chat or procrastinating, Vincent chose the hotel closest to the entry gate. The hotel was by no means a five, four, or even three star hotel, but it would get the job done and give Vincent time to think. Slowly approaching the front desk, Vincent said his piece which resulted in a room key and number. Leaving behind the petrified desk attendant, Vincent climbed the staircase to the second level before depositing the travel equipment onto one of the room's beds.

Too tired of babysitting, Vincent took the opportunity to open a window and sit back on the other bed and think. How would he train Cloud? The boy would need instructions on dealing with his primal instinct, espionage, emotion control, and various other areas. After all, if the boy truly wanted to infiltrate Shinra successfully, he would need all of the tricks Vincent had.

Thoughts began to consume his mind, when the breeze took on an undertone scent of blood. Vincent's eyes widened slightly as one thought pushed out all the rest….Cloud! Dashing out the window and allowing his cape to become wings for his ascent, Vincent took to the sky in hopes of finding the boy before it was too late. After all, the boy ran off before he could tell him that Shinra had a base in Junon.

_**Well I hope you enjoy this update! My goal is to upload every week, so I am pleased to have gotten this done. Please review about anything you liked, disliked, found interesting, etc. Thank you to everyone who has left comments! They have truly made me work harder in writing this fic. **_

_**P.S. I attempted suspense for the first time so it would be great if you could tell me if it was a success!**_

_**Thank you for the support; talk to you next week. Bye! **___


	6. Chapter 5: Meet Hojo

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, items, places, etc. mentioned below

_**Thoughts began to consume his mind, when the breeze took on an undertone scent of blood. Vincent's eyes widened slightly as one thought pushed out all the rest….Cloud! Dashing out the window and allowing his cape to become wings for his ascent, Vincent took to the sky in hopes of finding the boy before it was too late. After all, the boy ran off before he could tell him that Shinra had a base in Junon.**_

**Vincent**

Vincent was quick to locate the scene of the blood bath. Dropping down, he took count of the situation. There lay ten bodies strewn about the street, all human. The only clear signs of Cloud's involvement were his scent and partial handprints near a brick wall. With no clear sight of where Cloud disappeared to, Vincent's worry skyrocketed. It did not help that there was another vampire's scent subtly hidden in with the scent of blood.

…Click…

Vincent turned his head to the side and caught sight of a young red head holding a fully extended elctro-mag rod. The hair mixed with the scent told Vincent that this vampire was in fact a stage two: mix breed vampire. The stranger's outfit told Vincent that this vampire was a Turk for Shinra.

"…What do you want, Turk?" Disdain clear in Vincent's voice.

The stranger smirked back. "Well, ain't you Mr. Sunshine. You know why I'm here, yo."

"…"

"Will you becoming willingly or are we gonna dance, yo?"

Vincent swiftly analyzed his options. He could try to make a run for it or he could fight. Escaping would give him more chance to regroup and search for Cloud, but it came with a chance of getting caught by any backup the Turk had managed to call before his arrival. Meanwhile, fighting would allow Vincent to take out a threat and forcibly obtain Cloud's location, but it could lead to unwanted attention directed towards the fact that he was alive. Milliseconds ticked by as Vincent made his choice.

Carefully regarding Vincent, the stranger charged full speed at Vincent; arm arched in a low swing ready to stun his opponent into compliance. Obviously interpreting Vincent's silence to mean a fight. As his rod came within a centimeter or touching Vincent. The silent figure redirected the rod over his shoulder and delivered a solid hit to the stranger's abdomen, sending the teen flying onto his back in the middle of the street. In the second it took for the teen to get up, Vincent pulled his guns.

The teen raised his hands. "Whoa…Whoa… No need to pull out those bad boys. Besides it's a little late for them, don'tcha think, yo?"

That's when Vincent graceful sidestepped a blow aimed at the back of his head, and moved one gun to aim at another Turk. This one was an older looking male with a darker complexion. He chose to pair tinted sunglasses with his ironed-suit. From the tensing and flash of worry over the red head, it was clear that these were partners in more than one way. Vincent could use this.

"…Where is Cloud?" Vincent directed his question towards the talkative red head.

"…Who's Cloud, yo?"

Vincent didn't like the response, and he shot the glasses off of the second Turk, leaving the man to have blood drip down his face from the graze.

"S*#!" The talkative one breathed.

"Cloud…"

The red head looked to his partner in a silent exchange.

Sigh. "He's the petite blonde, right?"

"…"

"Right. Well, he may have found himself on the fast track to Hojo's lab."

Vincent did not like that answer, and his eye shimmered with discontent. Seeing this, the others swallowed, thinking they would need to rush the man for any chance of survival.

Before either Turk could make a move, Vincent took flight and was on his way back to the hotel where he could plan his next move.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

**Cloud**

Cloud woke up in a daze. He was in a small bright room, trapped with no windows or doors. Looking down, Cloud noticed that he no longer had on his normal clothes, but had on a strange hospital gown.

Suddenly Cloud heard a loud voice sound. "Welcome to Shinra, test subject 59687. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

Part of the wall detached itself and flew open and before Cloud could move in protest, two hulking men took hold of his arms and dragged him into the new passage.

What was going on? Wasn't he supposed to train with Vincent? How was he captured so quickly?

They passed other corridors as the men continued to drag a terrified Cloud. Getting over his shock, Cloud began to jerk around and attempt to flee. It was futile, and he eventually found himself strapped to a steel slab.

Cloud watched as the men retreated back into the corridor, leaving him alone in his dimly lit surroundings. He did not have to wait too long before another person joined him. This man was dressed in a white coat, wore glasses and had his long greasy black hair pulled back into a pony tail.

The man ignored Cloud in favor of reviewing a chart and making notes. After what felt to be an eternity of silence, the man looked at Cloud. The man's hawkish eyes were predatory in their scan of his body, making Cloud feel overly conscious of his situation. From what he had gathered, this man had to be Hojo, and if that was the case, Cloud knew he was in trouble. Had Cloud been paying closer attention he would have seen the slight gleam in Hojo's eyes which told of a painful future. Hojo looked away from his pet project in favor of barking out orders to staff in the corridor.

"I want this room set up with everything on this chart in the next thirty minutes, or I swear I will fire every single one of you. Do you hear me?"

"**Yes, sir**."

"Good, get to work."

It wasn't long before a bright light shown in Cloud's face and an IV containing glowing green liquid was hooked up to his arm. Once set up had been complete, Cloud was left alone to the merciless Hojo. Professor Hojo grinned down at Cloud in sheer malice as he picked up a scalpel.

"Let's have some fun, shall we?"

Hours afterward, one could still hear the screams emanating from that room.

…..

_**Hey, I hope you enjoy! Thank you to those who took the time to review, favorite and follow my story. I am ecstatic that so many like my idea. For those new to this story, please review, favorite, or follow if you have enjoyed this story. I'll be updating every Sunday for the foreseeable future, so please look forward to a new chapter next week. **_

_**Bye!**_


	7. Chapter 6: Zack Fair

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, items, places, etc. mentioned below

_**It wasn't long before a bright light shown in Cloud's face and an IV containing glowing green liquid was hooked up to his arm. Once set up had been complete, Cloud was left alone to the merciless Hojo. Professor Hojo grinned down at Cloud in sheer malice as he picked up a scalpel. **_

"_**Let's have some fun, shall we?"**_

_**Hours afterward, one could still hear the screams emanating from that room.**_

**Cloud**

It had to have been at least a couple of months. Cloud was pretty sure though there was no way to confirm it, but between the Hojo sessions, Mako-tube containment durations, and blackout periods, Cloud was sure he had to have been in the lab for a good amount of time. The time spent in this place caused many side effects such as memory loss, Mako poisoning, a weird voice calling herself mother, and various forms of pain. And, it was starting to wear him down. Cloud could already see that he was beginning to lose hope and falling into a trance like state. At first, this began to worry the boy and motivate him to hunt for opportunities of escape; however, as time stretched on, Cloud found himself shutting down into himself.

Now, he was stuck in a tube of the slimy green substance, trying to keep his memory straight by categorizing his newest scars. There were five. Two winding around his arms; two along the sides of his legs; and, the last ran down the length of his back, on top of his spine. Cloud was not sure what Hojo had created them for, but he did know that his pain had only encouraged the sadistic man to continue. Wanting to leave the cause of his torture behind, Cloud flashed back to his present position.

Cloud floated closer to the glass, keenly aware not to tangle the wires attached to him. The room was dark since Hojo was out, but the glow of Mako allowed Cloud to see the layout that had become his new world. Multiple computer screens stood tall, lining the wall opposite of him, and four stainless steel operating tables stood between his tube and the screen area. The room had no windows and only two doors. As Cloud's attention drifted to the door, he could not help but feel alone. No one was coming to his rescue and he was most definitely in no condition to escape on his own. Finally, Cloud let himself shutdown into a restless sleep, filled with the voice of his mother, or was she? He couldn't recall as he faded into the darkness.

As Cloud's consciousness faded, the sliding doors separating Hojo's personal lab from the rest of the science department opened to welcome glowing violet eyes. The eyes looked around before landing on the only operating Mako tube in curiosity. Walking up to the tube, the owner of the eyes caught sight of a boy who appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen. The only signs of life being the monitor on the left side of the tube which provided the slow heartbeat of the patient.

"What in Gaia?!"

The violet-eyed man came close to the control panel and gazed at all of the buttons. There were no labels and he did not feel like risking the kid's life just because he wanted to help. A thought struck his mind and he pulled out his cell, quickly hitting speed dial.

"Hey, Seph. I need your help"

"**What is it now, Zachary?"**

"Well, I kinda went snooping around in Hojo's lab…"

"**How many time do I need to tell you this? Stay out of Hojo's way. You may be a first class Soldier, but that will not protect you!"**

"I know, but this time is different. It's a kid, Seph."

"…"

"Please, I just need to know which button to press to release a Mako tube."

"…**Top right. It should be purple…"**

"Thanks. I love you!"

"…**Why did you have to be a partner of mine?"**

"Because you would have been too bored with only Angeal and Genesis."

"…"

"Anyway, I'll bring the kid up with me, and then I'll thank you, personally."

"**I look forward to it. Bye."**

Click

Zack looked down at his phone with a big grin spreading across his face.

"Well, that's Sephy for ya. Never one to talk longer than needed."

Shifting his attention from the cell back to the panel, Zack sought out the purple button and pressed it. Soon, the Mako was draining and wires were detaching themselves. That's when Zack heard the loud thump and a groan.

A sheepish look came over Zack's face. _**Woopsies! **_

The soldier quickly took action and moved to open the translucent cage. When it opened, Zackary Fair nearly choked on air. There staring deep into his eyes were eyes, windows to an ocean of unshed tears, contained within a young scarred body. Immediately, a connection weave its way into a knot, tying Zack to this young man. And throughout this little staring competition, all Zack could think of is that he found the last of his soulmates. In such a daze, Zack barely heard the other person.

"…Who are you?" The small voice croaked out.

"I am Zack. Nice to meet you!"

…..

**Vincent**

It had been years since he last saw the boy he had turned, and though he felt disappointed in himself and his inability to rescue the boy, Vincent spent his time build an organization of rogue Vampires calling themselves Avalanche.

They had come together in the common purpose of destroying Shinra and its rule. So far they had succeeded at a few small raids for supplies, but they were confident that they would eventually collect enough power to threaten the imperial rule.

Their ranks were composed mainly of the third type vampire with a couple second and first types mixed in. They had at first fought amongst themselves, but upon Vincent's arrival, the teams resolve focused and they began gaining recognition from Shinra as a nuisance. Privately, Vincent stilled hoped to find the remains of the boy he once knew, but he knew that very few beings survived long than a week in the hands of Hojo. Thus, instead of focusing on Cloud, he gave Avalanche and its members his full attention. Vincent went out of his way to train them in combat, stealth, weaponry, and strategy.

Overall, he had a pretty good team. And, he couldn't wait to test Shinra's security force in the future; afterall, who better to test Soldier and Turks, than an ex-Turk and his trained accomplices?

…

_**I hope you enjoyed this week's update. If so, please comment below. Thank you to everyone who continues to read my story; it makes me really happy! **_

_**Have a fantastic week. Bye! **_


	8. Chapter 7: April Fools

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, items, places, etc. mentioned below

_**Overall, he had a pretty good team. And, he couldn't wait to test Shinra's security force in the future; after all, who better to test Soldier and Turks, than an ex-Turk and his trained accomplices?**_

**Vincent**

"Yuffie!"

"WHAT?!"

"Did you take the last blood bag?"

"…..No….."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Like really really?"

"Okay…I may have been slightly thirsty, but it's not a big deal, Barrett."

"Yeah it is. The last person to drink has the responsibility to get more."

"…..Really?"

"Really."

"Fine, but I want Tifa to come with me!"

"Why…Never mind. Just hurry back, okay? I'm getting thirsty."

"Alright, alright."

Yuffie dashed out of the room in search for Tifa. Eventually, Tifa was found in the training room sparring with Vincent. Yuffie felt sweaty just from looking at Tifa. The newly turned vampire was most definitely out of her league when it came to Vincent, but that didn't stop her from trying. It only took a few minutes before Vincent had her pinned to the ground with a gun pointed at the back of her head.

"…You must train more. If I had wished you could have been dead 28 times…"

"This sucks. I just wanted advice on improving my style, not a lecture of practicing."

"That is the point of this fight. You must analyze it, find out when I could have killed you, and fix the holes in your defense."

"You could just tell me like a normal teacher."

Vincent did not feel that that comment deserved a response, so he merely turned his back on Tifa and exited the room, glancing slightly over to where Yuffie hid on the corner of the ceiling.

Tifa took Vincent's hint and sighed. Slowly, she began to sit up when out of nowhere a poof of smoke blew up from the floor and out immerged Yuffie.

"What the H#*$, Yuffie! You startled me."

"Well, I thought you might want to join me on an epic shopping trip!"

"….You drank the last bag didn't you?"

"Hey! I didn't know it was the last bag….It just sort of worked out that way."

"Fine, I'm in. Anything's better than staying cooped up under plate."

"I know right! Maybe, we can even stop by some clothing stores on the Plate and look into trending styles."

"Yeah!"

****Four Hours Later****

"**We're back!"**

" 'Bout time! What took you guys so long?"

Barrett's mouth dropped when he caught sight of the six different shopping bags. When he came back to his senses, he confronted the girls who had moved to put their stuff on a table.

"Where's the blood?"

The girls looked at one another then got big eyes and stared at Barrett.

"…**We kinda forgot, sorry?"**

"You forgot! HOW can you FORGET the only item you were sent to GET!?"

Barrett stormed out of the bar and took to the streets, venting his anger on any punks he passed by.

Meanwhile back in the bar, Tifa and Yuffie cracked up in peals of laughter.

"Ha, ha, ha, haaa….Did you see his face?!"

"Yeah! It was hysterical. Why would we forget blood? He's so stupid!"

"I know! How could he forget that it was April fool's day?"

"If only we could have done more…."

"Too bad. But, I wouldn't risk Vincent's wrath for a little prank…"

"*shiver* Last year was torture. Imagine, 24 hours of seiza sitting in a corner of the basement just for popping a balloon outside bathroom while he was showering."

"*shiver* I don't have to imagine. I was there."

"Talk about cruel and unusual punishment."

"Let's not talk about it anymore…"

With that said, the girls put the blood in the refrigerator and took their clothes up to their room. Neither of which was prepared for what they were going to see.

There in their room were a ton of balloons crammed into the small space.

"**Vincent!"**

Somewhere far off into the distance, Vincent heard their cry and a smirk etched itself onto his face. That's what they get for messing with bath time.

**Cloud**

Well this was an odd situation to be in. In front of him stood a muscular teen of about 19 calling himself Zack, but all Cloud could do was stare in slight astonishment that someone had rescued him. The youth began to move forward, and Cloud's body subconsciously flinched. Years of abuse could not be overlooked; for all he knew, Zack was some agent of Hojo sent to give him false hope.

"Hey there, it's all gonna be alright now. I'll take you back to my place and we can figure this all out. That sound good to you?"

Too tired to really put up a fight. Cloud slowly analyzed his options. He could wait here and get caught by Hojo. Or, he could make use of Zack and at least hold the illusion of escape. It didn't take much time to realize which the better option was.

"…I'll go with you…"

"Alrighty, let's get you out of here!"

Zack was swift but gentle in his handling of the boy. Before running out of the lab, he made sure he had a strong grip around the blonde's upper back and under his knees. It felt odd to be holding a strange body so close to him, but at the same time, it felt so right like this boy was meant to be in his arms.

It didn't take long for Cloud the exhaustion of his treatment to catch up to him as the relief from his escape allowed him to relax against the warm body. By the time Zack reached the apartment he shared with his three lovers (soon to be four), Cloud had given into exhaustion and was fully unconscious.

Without a free hand, Zack was forced into tapping the door with his shoe in the hopes that at least Sephiroth might answer. Instead, the door opened to reveal a raging Genesis. However, whatever he was about to shout stayed stuck in his throat as he recognized Zack and noticed the body.

"What is going on here?"

"I found him in Hojo's lab."

"Zack! You know you aren't allowed to go snooping around in there. What would we have done if you had been caught again? I don't think Hojo would accept Sephiroth's offer of more treatments like last time."

"I know, but I had to! Just look at him."

Genesis glanced down at the Blonde now situated on their plush sofa. Though the boy looked attractive, he could not figure out what was so special about the teen. Stumped, Genesis looked back at Zack with a confused look.

Zack sighed, "He is another soul mate of mine. He might even be one of yours."

Genesis' eyes widened at the revealed information, and he turned back to look at the boy with new eyes. It could be that what Zack said was correct. If that were the case, then Genesis could not wait till the teen's eyes opened and the connection could be made. After all, he and Angeal were beginning to suffer from genetic degradation. A sickness that could only be cured by having found and bound with all of one's lovers.

Both Genesis and Zack chose to sit in their arm chairs. Though they could have done busy work, all that they seemed to have the energy for was waiting for either their lovers' arrivals or the awakening of their youngest. Little had they known this morning that fate would make fools of them, offering them the real completeness they had been lacking. Now they knew the reason for the day's title of April fools.

_**Sorry that I ran late with his chapter. I got side tracked. I decided to dedicate this update to the fact that April first has passed, so I hope you enjoyed it. Next time, I promise everyone will meet up! So look forward to next Sunday, and I will try to post earlier.**_

_**Bye! :) **_


	9. Chapter 8: Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, items, places, etc. mentioned below

_**Both Genesis and Zack chose to sit in their arm chairs. Though they could have done busy work, all that they seemed to have the energy for was waiting for either their lovers' arrivals or the awakening of their youngest. Little had they known this morning that fate would make fools of them, offering them the real completeness they had been lacking. Now they knew the reason for the day's title of April fools.**_

* * *

Nightmares haunted the sleeping boy. He tossed and turned, too restless to stay asleep for much longer. When his eyes opened, he faced unfamiliar settings of a dark living room that was empty of all other life. Where was he? What happened? Slowly, the memories of the sable-haired youth trickled back to him. Alertness cleared out any leftover exhaustion, and Cloud found himself searching the room for an exit. Who knew when another opportunity for escape would come around? If he was lucky he might even make it back to Junon, and if he was only gone for a few months, maybe he would be able to run into Vincent. Fueled by this new found hope, Cloud got up from the sofa he had been resting on, moving toward the door. Cloud did not notice as the blanket that had been draped over him became tangled. As a result, his foot caught, nearly sending him headfirst into an armchair.

The commotion seemed to cause a reaction deeper in the apartment. There was rustling and a thump, but before whatever was in that back room could escape, Cloud made it to the front door and flung it open as fast as he could. Escape was the only thought occupying his mind, so when he ran straight into a wall of muscles, Cloud tried to jump back. He might have succeeded had it not been for the arms wrapped around his body. Just when Cloud was about to peer up at the giant who gripped him, a large bang of the bedroom door hitting a wall caused him to divert his attention. With only the ability to turn his head so far Cloud could only catch a glimpse of three bodies rushing towards him and the stranger.

He was lifted and placed in front of the sofa, surrounded by four men only one of which he recognized as Zack. Besides the youth Zack, there was an auburn-haired man with sky-blue eyes who was thin, sickly pale, and appeared to be in his early twenties; another slightly older sable-haired man with bluish grey eyes who was burly, and sickly pale; and, a similarly aged man with long flowing locks of silver hair and deep piercing eyes of pale green. As each man made eye contact with the blonde boy, they found their breathing halted and a bond forming. The sense of a complete bond sent a feeling of extreme contentment through the connection to all soul mates. Cloud who had no idea what was going on felt the sudden emotional override and met it with confusion and slight fear. The bonds' completeness had caused the auburn-haired and older sable-haired men to collapse and start rapidly healing from degradation, giving the blond an open escape path as the other two men directed their attention to the collapsed.

Cloud, not understanding any of the happenings that were taking place, ran as fast as he could. The door was out of the way so Cloud took his next best option and charged at a window to the side of the sofa. It was only while falling that Cloud rethought his action plan; who jumps from what looked like a penthouse suite? Too late, he met with the ground rolling to direct the pressure of landing from shattering his legs. Taking a quick count of his body to make sure it was okay to move, Cloud sprinted to a gate and climbed his way out. Talk about a shocking experience, it was not fun being virtually naked and receiving the shock treatment while trying to run for your life.

To escape the tortuous pain his body was experiencing from his dangerous escapade, Cloud left his body on autopilot and found solace in his mind where he could hear the voice of his mother telling him of other times and of how he could have the planet. Mother was so kind; she kept him safe; she guided him; she promised him a future; she was all he had. At this moment, mother was talking about his older brothers and how she would soon meet for a reunion. Not knowing what to think, Cloud took the cue from the tone of Mother's voice and smiled.

Meanwhile, outside of Cloud's head, Cloud's body found itself in a darker place, overcrowded people giving the boy's condition no attention. Trudging forward, Cloud became aware after colliding with a girl. The girl was slightly taller than him and had her burnet hair in a giant braid reaching to her waist. She seemed overly focused on picking up a few flowers that had fallen from her basket, and Cloud felt very bad for running into someone so he reached down to help. When he reached out the last flower to give to her, the girls aquamarine eyes traveled up the boy's body before looking into the boy's eyes. The slightly serious expression on her face was replace by a small smile and a bright giggle that seemed to calm Cloud down. Confused at the girl's reaction to him, Cloud looked down at himself and finally noticed his naked disposition. A crimson flush found its place on the blonde's face, and he began to stutter and scramble to cover himself with his hands. He forgot that he still had the flower in his hand and the girl began laughing even louder at the adorable scene before her. Realizing this, Cloud tried to give the flower back to the girl.

"Hahahahahahahahaha…. You can…keep that …flower!"

It took a bit before she could collect herself, but once she did, she grabbed Cloud by the arm not occupied with the flower basket, and guided him back to a shady looking building.

"My name's Aerith. I was on my way to deliver these flowers to my regular customer's at Seventh Heaven when we bumped into each other. I think they would enjoy meeting you and hearing about what just happened, maybe we could even get you some clothes…That is if you aren't trying to be an exhibitionist?"

Cloud shook his head in denial as the blush deepened. Soon, he found himself guided inside the bar and was seated in a chair close to a corner where he could hide from prying eyes while he waited for the girl to come back from talking with the barmaid who had begun moving to the back of the establishment, toward a door. Aerith kept the attention of the older woman until the barmaid took the flowers and laughed as she turned to glance at Cloud. The light seemed to seep from her eyes as recognition took its place. Signaling for Cloud to hurry over to the back with her and Aerith, the barmaid rushed into the dimmer back and let the door close shut. Cloud took his time walking over to Aerith, careful to keep himself covered as best he could.

"…What's going on?"

"I don't know. Tifa was going to just bring out a spare outfit when she saw you….. I think she might want you to meet someone else who lives here."

"Oh, okay."

The two entered the back of Seventh Heaven and were met with several shocked faces. The most notable for Cloud was Vincent. Quick to recover from shock, Vincent took initiative. With a sigh, he addressed the group.

"…Tifa, get Cloud clothes. Then we all need to have a long talk…."

* * *

**Well, till next time! I am so happy to have completed this chapter earlier than last time. If I have time this week, I might even update more than once this week! Since we have had a brief meeting with everyone this update, I promise that next time there will be more interaction, and Cloud will be found. The question is by who?**

**Bye! :)**


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